Visitation Rights for Fathers

CORNERSTONE – The Ultimate Guyvorce Guide

Note: This article is for educational purposes only.

Few experiences take as much out of you as fighting in court, before a judge you’ve never met, for your God-given rights to be with your children. You’ve likely talked about all of it ahead of time with your attorney. Understanding visitation rights for fathers is paramount to helping you get the most of your time with your kids.

Then, it all comes down. From here on out, you’ll see your children, the same people you’ve tucked in at night, every night, on a schedule. And none of it makes any sense.

Once you’ve reached this point, you’ll be met with two choices:

Either you can keep fighting for custody of your kids

Or, you can make the absolute most of the time you have with them

The decision is yours.

But before you start scheming, plotting, and hiring Magnum, PI to dig up dirt on your ex, think. It’s likely that nothing will come of it. And drawn-out custody battles only hurt your kids in the end.

Visitation and visitation rights are one of those gigantic brick walls many divorced couples, both custodial and non-custodial, always seem to run up against.

Generally speaking, unless your ex is a raging alcoholic with a criminal record or an abuser, odds are your continued litigious efforts will all be for naught. Mom usually gets managing conservatorship over your kids. You’ll be named the non-custodial parent.

Why?

Well, a lot of it has to do with biology. Mom went through the pregnancy. Mom birthed your offspring. Mom gets dibs, right? Not necessarily. There was a time when this happened semi-automatically. And in the good ole South, it’s still what judges will prefer.

Litigating aside, what can you do to be an actual, real part of your kids’ lives — even if you’re not physically there 24/7?

Kids don’t care about the brand new Jordans you got them for school. They couldn’t care less about the PS4. Games and toys and things are just that. They aren’t you! So what do they want from you? That’s easy, man! They want you!

The amount of time you spend with your brood is nowhere near as important as what you do with it. If you’re experiencing budgetary constraints, tighten that wallet! Save some cash by planning out your weekend activities to center around you getting plenty of time to talk to your kids.

If you’re trying to figure out how to steer your ship of life through the lives of teenagers, get them on their level. Meet your teens on common ground.

Video chat with them regularly

Traveling? Turn the camera around and show them your surroundings

If they’re of dating age, bring the significant other around, too

But if you’re having a rough time with your teenaged daughter, don’t quit. Underneath all the angst that comes with this part of growing up, she’s still there. She’s still the little girl who wouldn’t let you go when you arrived home from working a long hard day.

Teens are territorial. Give her a space within your home that’s just for her. She’ll respond almost immediately!

A Child’s Years Don’t Last Forever

If you do nothing else, show up for them. Keep your kids in your center of gaze. You need to see them in order to prioritize their needs over your own. So, go out of your way to do so by:

Offering to take your kids to doctor’s appointments and regular checkups

Showing up to support them at sporting events

Joining the band parents and get involved

Showing up uninvited at school plays

Arranging your schedule so you’ll take a later lunch in the day a few times a week and spend that time with them

Going out of your way is not at all convenient. It’s not supposed to be. A good dad, a Phenomenal Dad, does whatever he has to for his brood. The harder, the more laborious, the more time-consuming, there he’ll be!

Your kids won’t be kids for long. You’ll soon watch them cross the graduating stage. What will you say then if you waited that long to grow up?

Sit down. Write a letter right now to your son or daughter to hand over to them on that day! In it, be the best version of yourself, the best dad, and lay it all out. Are you proud? Do you still see their chubby baby cheeks smiling back at you from under that cap and gown? Let them know!

Because it’s all so finite, so short, be there! Maximize your child visitation rights by actually visiting your child.

Remain on good terms with your ex. Doing so will keep her on your side. Don’t bring up the past. It no longer matters. Instead, offer to drive your kids home and save her a trip when you can. It’s simply a win-win!

Maximizing Child Visitation Rights Through the Family Court System

And if despite all you do, you can’t get access to your kids, keep records of everything! Embrace technology to help you do it.

Sidekick by Hubspot is a free app that will notify you when someone’s opened your email message. It’ll also show you when they’ve clicked on links, opened attachments, and how often they’ve done so. Such an app is a priceless resource when you’re in court trying to prove you’ve done all you can to see your kids.

Simply make it a habit to correspond with your ex via email from the get-go. Install the app, and save your notifications. If you ever need them, just hit print!

Be a Phenomenal Dad!

Cultivating your relationship with your children (whether you’re married or not) is your responsibility! No one can connect with your kids for you. You’re irreplaceable.

Maximizing child visitation rights is your job. You have to make the most of every minute you get to be with your children. They’ll only be that young once. Teens can be an issue. But it’s one that’ll only last for a while. You’ll need to be there through it if you want your kid to take you seriously.

Buying them stuff won’t matter. Any favorable attention you get won’t last any longer than the sneakers will remain clean. Take care of their emotional needs along with their financial ones. Be THAT GUY!

Keep your relationship with your ex light and upbeat. Offer to help out with your kids where and when you can.
And if despite all you do, all you try, your ex manages to keep you away from your kids, fight! Get smart, and embrace technology. Install Sidekick by Hubspot right now and start saving those notifications.

Hang on to your little ones. Do it even when you don’t want to, even when you’re tired. Keep them close to your heart. Love them freely!